Photography Business Success: Community Building, Outsourcing, & Sharing a Studio with Erin Smagala

We are incredibly excited to share one of our favorite photographers on this week's podcast— Erin Smagala! Are we biased since we work with her each week?! Maybe, but getting to know her has made us appreciate all she brings to the table even more! Not only will you get to know more about who Erin is and how she started her career, you will also learn:

1. How To Work ON Your Business, Not Just IN It:

   Erin explains why stepping back from daily tasks and looking at the bigger picture is essential for growth. She shares her strategies for effective outsourcing that free up your time without sacrificing quality.

2. The Art of Saying 'No':

   Discover how setting boundaries and turning down projects that don't align with your vision can open doors to more fulfilling opportunities. Her personal story of what happened when she decided to quit took our breath away!

3. Seizing Opportunities:

   Learn from Erin’s personal and professional leaps of faith that sometimes, saying no is just setting the stage for a bigger yes.

4. Building a Supportive Photography Network:

   Find out how Erin's focus on community and collaborative efforts like shared studio spaces significantly cut costs and elevated her business success.

5. Balancing Personal and Professional Life As A Photographer:

   Erin gets personal with her journey through motherhood and entrepreneurship and how she has designed her life to blend the best of both worlds.

Fun Fact: Did you know? Erin crafted her backyard studio using windows from her dad’s renovated childhood home and doors from a client! Amanda and Whitney saw it in person recently (and it makes an appearance in our upcoming Get Lit Single Light Photography Course)!

Now for some fun links from this episode of The Edit Weekly Photography Business Podcast:

1) Check out Erin’s gorgeous website and follow her on Instagram!

https://erinsmagala.com/

https://www.instagram.com/erinsmagala/

2) Erin’s portrait studio, The Glass House TN (swoon!!!) https://www.theglasshousetn.com/

3) Erin, along with fellow Nashville photographer Karen Halbert, created a guide to sharing a studio. You can find the guide and more tips at https://www.thehelpfulphotographers.com/

4) And we can’t forget, you can find her at www.theeditweekly.com as well! 😉

See you next week, Photo BFF!

Amanda, Whitney, Erin & Chris

P.S. We’ve been having fun sharing small nuggets from our podcast on YouTube shorts! Head over there and subscribe so you can see them all!

➡️ The Edit Weekly Photography Business Podcast Youtube Channel

P.P.S. If you haven't checked out our two part series on The Top Ten Tips To Starting A Photography Business, check it out here 

➡️Part 1: Starting A Photography BusinessPart 2: Starting A Photography Business

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🌟Our Favorite Photography Tools (Besides Gear)🌟

Check out our curated list of the brands and products that we love. These are great for starting a photography business! We may earn a small commission if you purchase from this list, which helps us continue making episodes for you! We only share products we use and love ourselves!

Timed Timer:

Check it out! ➡ https://amzn.to/3SXA0FW

Do you have ADHD or just want a tool to work efficiently while you work on your photography business? This visual time aid helps you focus while you can visually see what time it is! Whitney discusses this tool in our second episode on Productivity for Photographers!

Watch our episode on staying productive in your photography business here ➡ EP 002—From Paper Planners to Tech.

Dubsado, a top CRM program!

Try it out here! ➡ http://dubsado.com/?c=theeditweekly

This is Erin’s Favorite CRM for her photography business! She shares all the different ways she uses Dubsado in our episode about CRMs for photography!

Watch our episode to see how Erin uses Dubsado in her business here ➡ Can a CRM for Photographers ACTUALLY ...

🌟Other tools for your photography business to help you!🌟

Apple iPad for note taking with GoodNotes ➡ https://amzn.to/49tRHEl (any will work if you can use an Apple pencil!)

Apple Pencil ➡ https://amzn.to/3uNza6M

The best photo hangers for wall galleries ➡ https://amzn.to/3OYjzbk

The best photo hangers to avoid wall damage ➡ https://amzn.to/42U33Pk